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Review
. 2023 Sep 5:14:1220068.
doi: 10.3389/fgene.2023.1220068. eCollection 2023.

TGF-β pathways in aging and immunity: lessons from Caenorhabditis elegans

Katerina K Yamamoto  1 , Cathy Savage-Dunn  1
Affiliations
Review

TGF-β pathways in aging and immunity: lessons from Caenorhabditis elegans

Katerina K Yamamoto et al. Front Genet. .

Abstract

The Transforming Growth Factor-β (TGF-β) superfamily of signaling molecules plays critical roles in development, differentiation, homeostasis, and disease. Due to the conservation of these ligands and their signaling pathways, genetic studies in invertebrate systems including the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans have been instrumental in identifying signaling mechanisms. C. elegans is also a premier organism for research in longevity and healthy aging. Here we summarize current knowledge on the roles of TGF-β signaling in aging and immunity.

Keywords: BMP; C. elegans; TGF-β; aging; innate immunity.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

Figures

FIGURE 1
FIGURE 1
The DBL-1/BMP and DAF-7/TGF-β Signaling Pathways. The two pathways share their overall structure in common: 1) the ligands, DBL-1 and DAF-7, are secreted from their sending cells, 2) and are received by heterotetrameric complexes comprised of two type I receptors and two type II receptors. 3) Signal is then transduced by Smads, 4) which enter the nucleus and interact with transcription factors to regulate gene expression.
FIGURE 2
FIGURE 2
TGF-β Ligands in Caenorhabditis elegans. DBL-1 and TIG-2 are members of the BMP family; DAF-7 and TIG-3 are related to TGF-β/Activin; and UNC-129 is more divergent. All five ligands have been shown to regulate immune response, while only DBL-1 regulates reproductive aging, and DAF-7 regulates somatic aging.
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